‘First Family’ by David Baldacci

  I'm not a big fan of David Baldacci's writing. I've read "Absolute Power" and the "Hour Game" and liked them; yet, I seldom pick up a book by him. Go figure. Anyway, Baldacci's newest hardcover is "First Family," which brings back Sean King and Michelle Maxwell ("Split Second," "Hour Game" and "Simple Genius"), who are ex-Secret Service agents now working as private investigators.
  In "First Family," Sean is a friend of the president's wife, Jane Cox, having helped her and her husband out of an embarrassing situation years before, when Dan Cox was a new and upcoming senator. Now, Jan's sister-in-law (Pam Dutton) is asking for Sean's help. When he and his partner, Michelle Maxwell, arrive at the Dutton house one evening, they discover a kidnapping in play as two masked men knock out the husband, Tuck, kill Pam, and kidnap one of their three children, Willa. Michelle is almost killed while trying to stop the kidnappers from getting away. Later, once the gun smoke has settled and everyone can think straight, the president's wife hires Sean and Michelle to find Willa, thinking that the two investigators will be easier to control than the FBI. You see, the first family has a closely guarded secret from the past and the kidnapping is just a ploy to get their attention as a wronged father puts his plan for revenge into motion.
  If that isn't enough, Michelle's mother is murdered in Tennessee. She and Sean have to take time out from the Willa kidnapping to go there and find out what happened. It doesn't take Michelle long to discover that her mom was cheating on her father and that he may have been the one who killed her in a fit of jealousy. The two private investigators are going to have their hands full trying to solve both cases while keeping the first family happy, the FBI and Secret Service off of their backs, and the life of a little girl in the forefront of their minds.
  If it seems like I've given away some of the plot points here, don't worry about it because this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things going on from daughters on life support, to spousal betrayal, to outward lying to hide the truth, to cold-blooded murder on both sides of the fence, to a father's quest for revenge for what was done to his child by those who are now in power, while another father searches for the killer of his wife, that the reader almost needs a program to keep track of all the subplots. Still, I found the first 173 pages to be slow in action and nearly gave up. Fortunately for me, I stayed with the novel and soon found myself totally engrossed and unable to put the blasted thing down. Let me reiterate that — you have to stay with the story in order to get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you can do that, then you're in for a treat.
  Also, Baldacci has created two intriguing characters in Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. In many ways they reminded me of Dennis Lehane's famous characters from the Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro series with the female character being the more explosive and dangerous of the two. While Sean King is suave, debonair and utterly professional (at least most of the time), Michelle is a woman tormented by her inner demons due to something that occurred in her childhood with her parents covering it up. This life-changing experience is driving her at a break-neck speed, keeping her barely balanced on the edge of the abyss, and the answers are finally revealed as she searches for the person who murdered her mother.
  Other great characters abound within the pages of this novel, too. There's Sam Quarry, a man who's tough and a near-genius with his hands at creating things; yet, a person who has a code of honor that he tries to follow as his wayward journey propels him to his final confrontation with those who destroyed his child's life. Then, there's Willa, the star of the show, who's young of age, yet wise beyond her years in her capacity to size up a given situation and then attempt to change the outcome. Last, and more importantly, is the first family, a married couple who have struggled to reach the pinnacle of power within the United States and refuse to allow anyone to take it away from them. They are the true villains of the novel!
  "First Family" by Baldacci is a good summer read for those seeking a few hours of popcorn entertainment to escape the drudgery of day-to-day living. As a reader, you'll also hope that the author will bring back Sean King and Michelle Maxwell in the near future for more exciting cases to work on. These are characters you want to learn more about.